


Biting Wit

by twilight_shades



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, M/M, Puns & Word Play, references to eating people
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:14:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27037027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twilight_shades/pseuds/twilight_shades
Summary: Hannibal sucks.
Relationships: Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter pre-slash
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21





	Biting Wit

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Do not own. Complete fiction.

Hannibal believes that Will Graham very likely knows that Hannibal is a vampire. It is puzzling and intriguing and frustrating and enticing, much like Will Graham himself. For someone who can be so startlingly blunt and wears his flaws like banners, Will Graham can be strangely opaque. So, Hannibal has not seen any clear indication, but is rather relying on a myriad of small signs that Will Graham may know – a slight cant up of his mouth at a play on words that should not have meant anything to anyone not in the know, a rather deft avoidance of an invitation into his domicile, a quickly suppressed snort when he was made aware of Hannibal’s count title, and an almost hidden scrutiny of Hannibal during a discussion with Katz, Zeller, and Price about blood. 

What makes it all the more interesting (and maddening) is that Hannibal can’t quite figure out how Will knows. It’s not like there isn’t plenty of evidence. Hannibal, like many of the older vampires, hides in plain sight and does not veil his eye color, his heightened sense of smell, his wholly too plentiful arenas of expertise for a man of his apparent age, or his superior strength and speed. Yet most humans either find a way to explain these away or ignore them, not wanting to be believed foolish or mentally ill. Will, with his remarkable abilities, could easily have come to the correct conclusion. However, were the realization a new one for Will, Hannibal would expect more agitation, even had Will decided not to say anything for fear of institutionalization (not that that would be an unfounded fear in Hannibal’s estimation, given the way Jack Crawford and Alana Bloom regard Will).

No, if Will knows, he is either a human already in the know or a supernatural being himself. Except Hannibal can only smell the most incidental of supernatural contact on Will – like the watery odor clinging to a portion of sleeve where Professor Cooke, a morgen that also teaches classes for the FBI, brushed by him; the faintly ashy scent that means Nathan Dobbs, the hobgoblin janitor, was cleaning near Will at some point; or the sulfurous smell of the creature that was part hellhound that was within close proximity to Will’s canine companions. Most humans that have knowledge of the supernatural have much greater than incidental contact (not always by their own choice). What an interesting conundrum Will Graham is.

~~~

“If you let it, this kind of thing will just suck the life out of you,” Hannibal says lightly.

Will finally twists to face him fully after working his way around Hannibal’s office as they fenced verbally. Will actually meets Hannibal’s eyes for a split second, his utter incredulity apparent in every line of his body. “Wow, just, wow.”

“Is something wrong?”

“Are you going to turn into a bat now? Or bare your fangs? You might as well, you’ve done everything short of wearing a shirt proclaiming, ‘I’m a vampire, ask me how.’”

Hannibal tries to keep the smile from his lips at Will’s sharp sarcasm, unfortunately it slips through a bit, though his voice is even when he replies, “Have you always harbored suspicions that others are mythological creatures?”

Will looks terribly unamused. “I should go.”

“No, no, I would very much like to hear your thoughts on… _vampires_ ,” Hannibal says, injecting just a touch of skepticism into the last word.

Will clenches his jaw and looks as if he’s going to stalk out of the office. Then he pulls in a deep breath and lets it out slowly. He turns away again and walks over to shelf on the other side of the room. Very quietly, so quietly Hannibal wouldn’t be able to hear it if his hearing wasn’t enhanced, Will says, “The older they are, the harder they are to kill. But it can be done, you just have to know how.”

Hannibal feels like his whole being is alert and focused on Will Graham. The man is a revelation. “And do you?” Hannibal asks.

“Do I what?” Will asks blandly, at a normal volume.

Hannibal smiles. “Very well. I will stop playing games.”

Will snorts. “No, you won’t. But you could stop with the jokes.”

“Oh, but they entertain me so, I’ve been making them for eons.”

“Literally? Fine, but could you tone them down?”

“I will try to restrain myself, around you at least, but I make no promises.”

“I guess that’s probably as good as I’m going to get.”

Yes, Hannibal could have, after all, just ripped Will’s throat out. He’s been thinking about redecorating the office and the spatter could have been the impetus. Of course, Hannibal still isn’t quite sure how Will is connected to the supernatural yet and it would be rash to kill him before knowing that. However, it’s really Hannibal’s interest in Will that keeps Hannibal from getting too invested in the thought of Will’s death. Something of a pity as Hannibal is sure Will would die beautifully. Still, Hannibal can’t be too regretful since he hasn’t been this intrigued by someone in a very, very long time.

“If you're going to think about killing me, could you not do it so loudly?”

Hannibal looks up to find Will's gaze darting away from him, Will's body now half turned towards him. Ah, Will’s gift. “Apologies.”

“I'd fight,” Will says flatly.

Hannibal studies him, somewhat charmed that Will thinks that would matter. “Do you imagine that there's even the slightest possibility that you would win?”

Will turns a little more fully toward Hannibal and his eyes flicker across the breadth of Hannibal's chest and shoulders before he looks to the floor. He doesn't say anything.

But Hannibal had read it in Will's countenance before he had looked down - a confident and resounding 'Yes'. And now the titillation the man provides Hannibal is suddenly trebled and his curiosity about Will’s association with the supernatural much more aroused. “You have me at a disadvantage.”

Will gives him a quick sidelong glance and raises an eyebrow in inquiry.

“You know about me, but I don't know how you came to this knowledge.”

“Maybe I figured it out from all the anvils you were dropping.”

“You wouldn't have been as calm if you had recently realized.”

Will concedes that with an incline of his head. His phone buzzes and he pulls it from his pocket. He reads something on the screen and then shrugs at Hannibal. “Have to go. Time's almost up anyway.”

Hannibal hums in acknowledgement.

Will looks over at Hannibal, sightline resting on his forehead, as Will reaches the door. “I'm going to try to keep you there as long as I can.”

Hannibal tilts his head a little, then recognizes that Will means at a disadvantage. “You should know better than to bait a beast.”

One side of Will's mouth quirks up. “What are you going to do, eat me?” he asks sardonically as he slips out of the office.

Hannibal stares at the door in astonishment. He knows. Will not only knows about Hannibal’s nature, but about his atypical proclivities. Hannibal huffs out a laugh. Well, it's just possible that Hannibal has met a truly worthy opponent. This has the prospect of being quite the delicious game.

The End

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little taste (heh). I may or may not write a sequel, we'll see.
> 
> Let me know if you find any typos or if the format is messed up or if you think I need any tags.


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